


Nostalgia

by Birchen



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Balkan - Freeform, Balkantalia, Comedy, Gen, Hagebutt wrote it, I only translated, Just 3 pederi enjoying a day at the beach, Learning to Swim, Nostalgia, Not my story, Serbia being Serbia, also, kurac!, she's awesome and you'll love it, you can find some Bosnia/Croatia if you read between the lines, yugoslavia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-25
Packaged: 2019-07-17 14:26:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16097507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Birchen/pseuds/Birchen
Summary: Croatia decides to teach Bosnia and Serbia how to swim. And the second one is giving his poor nerves a huge test.A heartwarming, nostalgic one-shot about these three and their life back when Yugoslavia was still a thing.





	Nostalgia

**Author's Note:**

> Written by my lovely Hagebutt (aka Betelgeuze for some), translated into English by me.  
> You can find her here: https://hagebutt.tumblr.com/ Enjoy~!!!

Croatia wiped the sweat of his face frustratedly. The sun was burning hot and he wasn't in a mood for dealing with his relatives. But he made a promise. He did, indeed. And he has been postponing it - for a long time, actually. Since Tito's birthday. The one before the last one. 

"Where is he?" he asked Enis with a fed up voice. At least Enis was there. He wasn't usually much reliable, but Croatia liked him nonetheless. And today, he had come only fifteen minutes late, which for him equaled a miracle. 

His Bosnian friend put his hand to his forehead in order to stop the bright sunlight that the clear water of the Dubrovnik bay was throwing into his eyes. "Well, you know what he's like..." he answered, equally upset. Why was the sun there always so blinding? It felt like crystal daggers inside his eyes. And the sea was so wide, clear and blue - it was impossible to tell where the sky starts. 

Enis has been to the beach only a few times in his life. And it has always amazed him with it's vibrancy and beauty. He enjoyed sitting on a beach towel with his family, splashing through the water brought by the tide, and catching crabs into a plastic bucked like a little child. He would always forgot his horrific memories of the not-so-long-ago ended war at the beach. Especially, when he was sitting on the sand, letting his feet get washed by the stream. He never went farther than that because he couldn't swim. And that was the exact reason why he was there.

"Maybe we could start without him, it's his problem he's late," said Dražen and Enis looked at him, his eyes filled with hope. All alone with Dražen? Yeah, he'd really like that. But unfortunately, he was soon to be disappointed.

"Hahaha, did ya really think I was gonna be there first and then melt my ass in this sun while waiting for you? I went for one shot to a pub instead - okay, three shots - to cool down in a pub and I kinda forgot about this little meeting with you peders, sorry," said Serbia cheerfully with his rusty voice and he dragged both of the Balkan nations into his firm, warm bear-like hug. They were mad at him but it was hard to say something since Vuk almost squeezed the souls out of them. "So what, were are we gonna do the swimming stuff? I hope not right here, this bay is more filthy that an old ustasha from the 40's," he laughed.

Vuk laughed a lot and with passion. He was self-centered and confident, because he was handsome and good at loads of things apart from just stupid jokes. He was good at singing, playing the accordion, being good in bed and fighting (other Balkan nations denied furiously this information he was boasting about – surprisingly with everyone choosing an entirely different fact to disagree on.) There was only one thing he couldn't do at all - swimming. Hrm! It wasn't like the big manly Serbia was afraid of water! He just didn't care that much about it as an inland country. That was it.

"Don't you worry." Croatia rolled his eyes. Which felt almost like a habit when Serbia was around. "We'll go to the beach and start nice and slow on the pier."

"I don't wanna do it 'nice and slow'!" frowned Vuk. "Am I a girl or something?"

"You can always let Montenegro teach you," said Enis. "You don't need to spend time with us." His voice clearly showed that he, Enis, would be glad to spend as little time with him as possible. These two argued a lot more that they ever used to before, since the recognition of the Bosnian Muslims.

"Look, I've been trying to talk Śćepan into this since the Yugoslavian establishment, but you know what he's like."

They all nodded. They knew Śćepan well. The shorter guy seemed to have a better relationship with Serbia than the other two nations, but he also seemed to be permanently sleeping. Without any exaggeration. Śćepan would wake up only when his life was at stake (or when there was a celebration, and did they celebrate a lot in Yugoslavia).

After a while they managed to walk to the beach. The cobblestone path almost disappeared in the sand and the roar of the surf became louder as well as the screaming of some kids playing tag between the colorful sunshades. The sand was golden and the sky clear. 

"Just like in some stupid advertisement poster," grinned Vuk.

Dražen simply shrugged. "Yeah, exactly. The beach in Split, not so far away from here, was used as an inspiration for a new poster that's going to decoy the citizens of the capitalistic states to happily spend their foreign exchanges here. Have you seen it?"

Enis smiled subtly. Croatia has always been a prig.

"Well, there's a really pretty ljepotica in it. With boobs thiiis big!" demonstrated Croatia proudly. "Wait, we're here already. I hope you two brought the swimming shorts I told you about."

Surprisingly enough, they both had them and Croatia silently thanked God that he was spared from seeing their underwear old enough to remember the war which, as he knew, they sometimes wore because: "These pants are still okay so why are you cringing Dražen? I'm gonna take them of soon, anyways." 

All three Balkans quickly striped down to their swimming shorts and doubtfully twisted their toes in the waves. 

"Let's go to the pier and then climb down the ladder," Croatia gave them instructions. "The water there is up to your waists, that's just enough deep for learning. Watch out for jellyfish - that's the slimy see-through stuff that you're looking at right now, Enis, don't touch that, it burns even when it's dead - and sea urchins, their spikes hurt like hell. And if you piss me off, I'll give up on the swimming with you two idiots. Is all clear?"

They walked one after another on the solid pier and squinted to the reflection of the sun in the water. Bosnia ran ahead of them and observed the horizon.

"Dražen, have you ever been there?" He pointed on a tiny, concrete island, almost invisible between the waves. 

"Of course I have," said Croatia proudly. "You know that I can swim very - hey, Enis!"

Vuk came running rapidly across the pier and pushed Bosnia hard from behind to the water with a splosh. A wave formed and the warm seawater poured on both him and Croatia.

"You're such an idiot, Vuk!" shouted Croatia. "Now I have salty water in my eyes! My hair is wet! I'm pissed!"

"These bubbles are interesting..." said Serbia with engagement and stared at the water that closed above the Bosnian man. 

"Bubbles-?!" cried out Croatia, slapped him and jumped to the seawater that was dirty with light, stirred up sand. The water reached only up to his hips but still, he couldn't find Bosnia under the surface. And he didn't see him popping up out of the water either. Croatia was feeling the bottom of the sea with his foot when he knocked into something soft. He quickly reached out for his friend and dragged him unconscious to the pier. He laid him on the back and started to press his chest to get the water out of his lungs. Luckily enough, it didn't take long till Enis coughed and frantically looked around himself. 

Croatia breathed out in relief, looked up and realized that Serbia has been standing near him all that time, just observing and smoking a cigarette.

"I swear, you're driving me-!" mumbled Croatia angrily. "Don't you dare to do it ever again - that idiot can't even swim!" 

Serbia sluggishly jumped of the not-so-high pier, water up to his waist, an elegant and self-conscious smile on his face. "You see, Enis, that's how you do it," he grinned. 

"Alright, so maybe we could finally get down to work," concluded Croatia, his voice fed up, when they we're all finally in the water. "Hey, Enis, lay on your back, like this, and try to float. You too, Vuk. I'll hold you." He brushed the sweat of his forehead and dosed his hair wet to cool down a bit.

Wait.

"Vuk, am I seeing things or do you still have a cigarette in your mouth?" asked Dražen as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. 

"Can I have a smoke, too?" asked Enis innocently.

Croatia took a deep breath. "People. Don't. Smoke. When. They. Swim," he hissed. 

"You wanna make me stop?" 

And so Vuk was swimming with a cigarette, carefully holding it above the water and making mocking faces at Dražen. Meanwhile, Dražen rubbed the bridge of his nose so firmly he thought he might break that bone for a moment.

On the other hand, Enis was floating well and letting himself get swung by the warm, light-blue sea. "Just like a hug from Dražen," he thought to himself and closed his eyes.

"Hello-o~? The Earth is calling Enis!" Croatia splashed a bit of water on his face. "Floating is great but it's not swimming. Look, guys," he turned to them. "You have to move your hands like this. Try not to splash in your eyes. Vuk, now you seriously have to toss that cigarette of yours," he looked at Serbia.

"No way!" grumbled Serbia, turned around, fell on his stomach with a large swash and cursed when water got into his nose. As he snorted, he swallowed the burning fag end which had been casually hanging out of the corner of his mouth. "Aaargh!"

Bosnia chuckled silently into his hands, while Croatia bursted out laughing without holding himself back. "Oh wow!" He rubbed his teary eyes. "The last time something as hilarious as this happened was, well, when? At Śćepan's birthday, right? When he fell asleep exactly in that moment when the busty waitress lost buttons on her camisole."

Serbia rinsed out his burned mouth with sea water. "You better shut up, Enis-Penis," he panted, but to insult Croatia - he didn't dare. 

"So let's try it," commanded Croatia, but soon after, Bosnia went under the water again. 

And for the third time.

When it happened for the fifth time, they decided that their friend simply had a problem with not sinking while he was on his stomach. 

"Ahem," contemplated Croatia and leaned back to the pier while Bosnia was nervously standing at the sea shoal. (And Serbia was splashing around to show them how good at it he was but both ignored him.) "Maybe if you had inflatable arm-bands?"

"Arm-bands!" cried out Serbia. "And where you wanna get those?"

"I don't know!" snapped Croatia. "From a turist, I'll ask someone. Yeah, I'm gonna do that." It didn't take long till he returned with a proud grin and a pair of yellow arm-bands.

Enis was turning and tossing but with a little cooperation they managed to put them on him. "Now try it again."

And and surprisingly, it worked. All three men finally started to enjoy the water, splash and swim around in wide circles. For that one single moment all the hostility was put away and a hot, summer day and soothing water were all that was left. 

"And now watch me, pals!" shouted Serbia. The other two looked at him.

"I'll swim under the pier," he exclaimed confidently. 

"You've been able to swim only for like half an hour," noted Croatia. Every Balkan nation had to put up with various Vuk's manners and braggings - and Dražen was the least patient with him of them all. 

"Are you trying to say I can't do it or what, ustasha?"

"Do as you wish," shrugged Croatia, obviously unamused. 

Vuk took a deep breath, grinned and dived in the water.

Enis gave Dražen a concerned look.

"He'll get what he wants," sighed Croatia. "It's somewhat impressive, that bravery of his - I'm telling you that only because he can't hear us right now, you know? - but he's just acting like an idiot all the time."

"It's taking him kinda long," said Enis in the exact same tone of voice as when Vuk has said 'Bubbles' before. 

Dražen looked down. Indeed, Vuk hasn't got out of the water yet. He and Enis exchanged looks.

Long silence. 

"I guess I have to pull him out or Tito may rip out my head," Dražen mumbled. "Fucking chetnik, bringing me into these moral dilemmas..."

Enis shrugged. "His lovers might feel sorry for him," he said, hesitant. "You can't find a cock like this in the whole world," he quoted Vuk's favorite saying.

"Alright," grunted Dražen. "That's exactly what I'd miss. His cock." He took a breath and dived into the sea.

Just when Bosnia started to worry, when Croatia finally popped up.

"This asshole got stuck a bit in there and doesn't look really good," said Croatia calmly. "Looks like there's gonna be a teeny-tiny resuscitation needed."

He dragged Vuk's pale body to the pier and started to perform some basic CPR moves. Bosnia was curious and so he climbed to him and observed what his friend was doing. 

Dražen, who had a lot of experience with fishing and saving drowning people, skillfully pushed a great deal of water out of Vuk's half-dead body and then stared to press his chest in periodic intervals. It didn't take long until Vuk woke up and coughed, a bit out of it. 

"Did you see it?" His face was glowing with pride. "It wasn't that bad, considering the fact that I can swim only for like half an hour!"

"You almost drowned, you asshole," trembled Croatia. "I should have left you there." 

"And what would you do without my cock?" wondered Vuk.

Dražen and Enis looked at each other - and bursted out laughing. 

"Let's go to a pub," proposed Enis, voice still shaking from chuckling. "Let's celebrate Vuk's rescue with rakija."

"Well, that's my man!"

And so they went to a pub.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading ~  
> Reviews are welcome <3


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